33 Vaping Statistics to Consider Before Buying the First Juul

Why is vaping so popular? Why do some estimates and vaping statistics put the number of future users as high as 55 million by 2021?

Ever since the first e-cigarette was introduced, vape products have been hailed as a more discreet, more affordable, and safer alternative to smoking. Even the most vocal opponents can’t deny that vaping cannabis offers the fastest-acting relief for medical users. However, vaping is not without risks.

Did you know that vaping doesn’t really help people quit smoking? Or that cannabis vaping is on the rise among teens and that e-cigarette use contributes to young people becoming addicted to nicotine?

Read through these stats and facts on vapes to find out more about the effects and potential dangers of e-cigarettes and cannabis vaping products.

Top 10 Most Essential Vaping Facts to Remember

A 2018 study found that 1.4% of people in the US exclusively use electronic cigarettes.

The global vape market was valued at $12.42 billion in 2019.

The majority of the revenue is generated in the US.

Around 11% of e-cigarette users have asthma.

A total of 68 people have died from the EVALI outbreak in 2019.

5.3 million children and teens in the US vape.

Almost all young vapers (97%) use flavored products.

Around 20 million people in the US vape CBD.

CBD vapes allow the human body to absorb between 34% and 46% of cannabinoids.

71.5% of US adults believe that using electronic cigarettes will help them quit smoking.

General Vaping Statistics

1. A 2018 study found that 1.4% of people in the US exclusively use electronic cigarettes.

(Johns Hopkins Medicine) (Gallup)

Younger people are almost twice as likely to use vaping products than older adults, who seem to prefer conventional cigarettes.

In fact, 20% of US adults under the age of 30 vape occasionally, but only 9% of 30- to 49-year-olds use e-cigarettes regularly or occasionally as opposed to 23% of people of the same age group that smoke.

2. According to vaping statistics from 2018, less than 0.5% of seniors vape regularly or occasionally.

(Gallup)

Older generations believe that vaping is harmful. While only 22% of 18- to 29-year-olds believe that vaping can damage their health, 40% of older generations maintain this opinion.

Opinions regarding regulation on e-cigarettes are divided among 18- to 29-year-olds with 49% asking for more stringent laws and 42% saying that rules are fine as they are. Only 5% of US adults stated that laws should be less strict.

Vape Industry Statistics

4. The global vape market was valued at $12.42 billion in 2019.

(Grand View Research)

Projections for 2020 to 2027 expect revenue from the e-cigarette and vaping products market to grow at an incredible rate of 23.8%.

5. The majority of the revenue is generated in the US.

(Grand View Research) (Statista)

With $6,368 million in revenue in 2020, the US dominates the global vaping market.

Trends and facts about vaping indicate that growth is expected in Europe as well; however, stricter regulation and lack of awareness over existing technology might hinder progress.

6. E-liquids generated the highest revenue in 2019.

(PR Newswire) (Technavio)

The modular e-cigarette market is the largest segment of the overall e-cigarette market, mainly driven by the fact that these devices are easily customizable, allowing the quick change of flavors and the amount of vapor generated.

In terms of brands, JUUL led the pack with a 75% share of the US e-cigarette market, vaping statistics from 2019 show.

7. 37.6% of consumers purchased vaping products from vape shops.

(CounterTobacco) (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids)

Vape shops were the most popular point of purchase based on a 2014–2016 survey. Vape shops are popular among high school students, too.

16.5% of them purchased e-cigs from a vape shop, whereas 9.8% bought vape pens at a gas station or convenience store.

Is Vaping Dangerous?

8. The aerosol produced by electronic cigarettes contains harmful materials.

(Truth Initiative) (Center on Addiction)

What is vaping? Even though that’s the official name we use, vaping devices actually produce an aerosol, not a vapor, containing over 60 chemical compounds that can lead to adverse effects on the heart and blood vessels including cancer.

9. Around 11% of e-cigarette users have asthma.

(Johns Hopkins Medicine)

One study found that people who consumed vaping products on a daily basis were 73% more likely to suffer from asthma, vaping health statistics reveal. In contrast, those who vaped occasionally had 31% higher chances of developing asthma.

At the same time, the number of COPD patients was twice as low among those who never used e-cigarettes.

10. A total of 68 people have died from the EVALI outbreak in 2019.

(Axios)

According to vaping statistics, as of 2020, there were 2,807 confirmed cases of severe respiratory illnesses associated with vaping of nicotine and cannabis products.

Even though there was a suspected link to THC vapes, vitamin E acetate was identified as the primary cause of the lung-disease epidemic that swept across the nation last year.

11. The youngest EVALI victim was 15 years old.

(TIME) (Axios)

Victims from the lung-disease outbreak ranged from the ages of 15 to 75, but the median age of patients who died was 49.5, vaping death statistics reveal.

12. The liquid in e-cigs is also dangerous.

(CDC) (AAPCC)

As of March 2020, there were 936 cases of exposure to e-cigarette devices and liquid nicotine. Children and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing, or absorbing the liquid through the skin and eyes.

13. A total of 2,035 e-cigarette explosions and burn injuries were registered by ERs in the US from 2015 to 2017, vape explosion statistics show.

(Vox) (Sawaya Law)

Although the FDA reports that these incidents are rare, they still happen. The USFA has reported 195 e-cigarette explosions in the US from 2006 to 2016.

In 19.5% of these cases, victims suffered serious injuries, such as loss of body parts and third-degree burns, and there was even a fatality in 2018 when a Florida man died from severe injuries sustained while using an e-cigarette.

Teen Vaping Statistics

14. 5.3 million children and teens in the US vape.

(CBS)

2018 data shows that 28% of high-school and 11% of middle school kids used vapes in the past month. This is up from 3.6 million in 2017.

15. The number of college students vaping nicotine and cannabis dramatically increased.

(MTF)

Going up from 6.1% to 15.5% between 2017 and 2018, this is the biggest one-year increase to be recorded in MFT’s survey history, college students vaping statistics show.

16. Almost all young vapers (97%) use flavored products.

(Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids) (USA Today)

As many as 70% of teens who vape said they use e-cigarettes because they are available in their preferred flavors.

Flavors further lure teens into vaping so the FDA issued a ban on unauthorized flavored cartridge-based electronic cigarettes marketed to kids and teens, as of January 2020. This is done in an effort to address concerns regarding vape health issues, facts and regulations show.

The ban, however, doesn’t refer to all 15,000 flavors. Only fruit and mint flavors were covered by the ban, while menthol and tobacco-flavored products were excluded.

17. JUUL is the preferred brand of e-cigarettes among high school teens.

(CBS)

60% of the 20,000 young people in a government survey pointed to JUUL as their favorite brand. Another term for vaping is JUULing.

18. Around two-thirds of teen JUUL users are not always aware that this brand of e-cigs contains nicotine.

(CDC)

These are some alarming vaping statistics from the CDC, considering that a single JUUL pod has as much nicotine as a 20-cigarette pack.

Cannabis Vaping Stats & Facts

19. Marijuana vaping among teens is also on the rise.

(Reuters)

19% of 10th graders and 7% of 8th graders reported vaping marijuana in 2019; however, the biggest increase (7.7%) was noted among high school seniors — 21% of whom stated that they had vaped THC in the past year, adolescent vaping statistics prove.

Only half of the marijuana vapers hospitalized for EVALI provided information on the products they used.

The majority of them (78%) stated that they had acquired vapes from online shops, friends, or dealers, whereas only 16% bought THC vapes from regulated dispensaries.

21. Vaping marijuana has a much stronger effect than smoking it.

(JAMA) (Healthline)

Research on health facts about vaping found that inhaling 25 mg of THC has more pronounced adverse effects on cognitive and motor abilities than smoking the same amount of THC. The recent EVALI cases and their connection to THC vapes have sparked further discussion of the potential side-effects of vaping weed.

Cannabis edibles such as best CBD gummies, on the other hand, seem to have little to no side-effects, prompting experts to recommend them as the best way to consume marijuana, in moderation of course.

CBD and Vaping Statistics

22. Around 20 million people in the US vape CBD.

(Consumer Reports)

A 2019 survey found that almost a third of all US citizens who had tried CBD in the last year had used vaping as a method of consumption.

Even after the EVALI crisis, less than a quarter of CBD users stopped consuming the substance in vaporized form.

23. CBD vapes allow the human body to absorb between 34% and 46% of cannabinoids.

(Green Entrepreneur)

People absorb only 10% of CBD from edibles, so according to vape statistics, vaporizing cannabidiol oil or liquid is the most efficient way to get the substance into your bloodstream.

24. Vaping CBD is also the fastest way to feel the effects.

(Royal CBD)

When users vape or smoke CBD, they feel the effects almost instantly, whereas edibles take 30 to 90 minutes to kick in, and tinctures start to take effect after 20 minutes.

25. Only mild side-effects are reported by using CBD vape juice in vaping products.

(Healthline) (Consumer Reports)

Some users report nausea, tiredness, and slight irritability (although none of these were deemed serious).

However, bad facts about vaping CBD point to at least 26 hospitalizations the CDC traced back to vaping cannabidiol oil. That’s what you get unless you use the best CBD vape oil.

26. Some CBD extracts in vape pens and cartridges contain more than cannabidiol.

There is little evidence showing whether vaping these products along with CBD is safe or effective in treating medical conditions. Moreover, there are different additives, usually for flavor enhancement.

28. More research is needed to discover the long-term effects of CBD vaping.

(MarijuanaBreak)

More extensive studies are required on CBD and vape facts, particularly when it comes to patients who use vape pens and other products for the treatment of chronic conditions, such as pain, anxiety, and insomnia.

30. More CBD vapes are expected to hit shelves in 2020.

(Dorsi Health)

Experts believe that stricter regulation on the vaping market will encourage vape shops and retailers to diversify and include more CBD vaping products on their shelves.

Vaping vs. Smoking Facts and Stats

31. Just 1% of people who had never smoked vape on a regular basis.

(Gallup) (Truth Initiative) (ScienceDirect)

On the other hand, 54.6% of people who vaped also smoked, 2016 data shows.

A one-year follow-up in a 2015–2018 study on dual use of tobacco products found that 53% of the participants continued to use both vapes and combustible cigarettes, 37% used only traditional cigarettes, and just 2% quit smoking and stuck to e-cigs alone.

32. 71.5% of US adults believe that using electronic cigarettes will help them quit smoking.

According to a 2019 study, vapers had 70% fewer chances of quitting smoking than non-users. On top of that, Surgeon General’s 2020 Report determined that there is inadequate evidence to support claims that vaping may encourage smoking cessation.

33. Smoking was consistently deemed “very harmful to health” by respondents of all age groups.

(Gallup)

Respondents of all ages (from 18 to over 65) were twice as likely to see smoking and nicotine side effects as more harmful than vaping.

FAQs

What does vaping do to your lungs?

(The American Lung Association) (The American Lung Association) (MedicineNet)

The US saw the damage of vaping first-hand in the recent EVALI outbreak. Other potential effects of vaping on the lungs include increased odds of COPD and asthma, and even lung cancer, primarily due to the presence of acrolein in e-cigarettes.

Even though experts on lung disease believe vaping cannabis oil might have the same effects as e-cigarettes, they agree that more information is needed regarding the long-term effects of cannabis vaping on a person’s respiratory system.

Researchers found that 92% of the vapes they studied had a minimum of three different compounds known to cause popcorn lung — a lung disease that causes scarring and narrowing of airways.

Therefore, be very careful when choosing vape products!

What does vaping do to your body?

(Healthline) (Science Daily)

In addition to causing lung irritation and disease, vaping is also connected to increased rates of heart attack, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Using vaping products also increases the risk of periodontal diseases and tooth decay.

Vaping cannabis is beneficial in many ways, but regarding side effects, it might have short-term effects on the users’ memory or coordination, while vaping CBD could cause mild nausea or irritability.

Cannabis vaping products might contain other chemicals, such as flavoring agents, which could result in similar side-effects to vaping nicotine-free cigarettes, although more research is needed to determine the long-term effects of vaping weed.

Does vaping cause cancer? Other studies link vaping to cell dysfunction and DNA damage that can later cause cancer.

Is vaping worse than cigarettes according to 2019 stats?

(Johns Hopkins Medicine) (CNN) (European Respiratory Journal)

Although vaping may be safer than conventional cigarettes, it isn’t without its risks.

The 2019 incidents have shown that vaping causes lung damage and death (in the case of the EVALI outbreak) as well as seizures — in 2019, the FDA received 127 reports of seizures and other neurological symptoms that they believe are linked to the use of vaping products.

So, is vaping worse than smoking? According to certain studies vaping might be as harmful as smoking.

How many teens are vaping?

(NPR) (CBSN)

Judging by the latest numbers from 2019, almost one million high school students use e-cigarettes on a daily basis.

This translates to about one in 17 high school students across the nation, high enough for the FDA to call youth vaping “an epidemic of addiction.”

To Sum Up

Although most vapes are less harmful than the chemicals in cigarettes and more effective, particularly when it comes to experiencing the medical benefits of CBD, they still come with multiple health risks. And according to statistics on vaping, these shouldn’t be taken lightly. Lung injury, heart disease, and cancer are just some of the potential dangers of vaping.

But the issue causing the greatest concern is how vaping, especially vaping marijuana, affects young people. Kids and teens are the biggest consumers of vaping products and the most vulnerable to nicotine and other substance addiction.

More than ever before, young people need to be aware of the above vaping statistics, and it’s up to parents, governments, and society to point these risks out to them.